Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Vice President McDonald Mariga has revealed that he receives no salary from FKF and pays his own travel costs to support national teams, amid growing tensions within the federation’s leadership.
Mr Mariga has lifted the lid on the toxic administrative division, revealing that he receives zero salary from the Federation and is forced to bankroll his own international travel and accommodation out of pocket.
The former Harambee Stars and Inter Milan star laid bare the deep-seated rift splitting the executive office.
These impasses have placed him at direct loggerheads with FKF President Hussein Mohammed just as the federation head decried a paralyzed National Executive Committee (NEC).
‘’I’ve never been employed anywhere. What I know until now is football. I don’t get a salary from the Federation. I’m not paid. NEC members are not paid. We are not paid. I don’t get anything from the Federation. So if I pay my money, I go to support the team. That’s the passion we have.”
Mariga’s grievances extended far beyond his unpaid status, detailing how his executive position has effectively been reduced to that of a self-funded supporter.
Mariga also recounted how he had to pay his own way to rally behind the men’s U-23 side, the Emerging Stars, as they competed in the AFCON Under-23 qualifiers in Tanzania.
“I was in Tanzania the other day, and I paid for my ticket. Nowadays I pay for my ticket to go and support our teams. I paid for my ticket; I paid for my accommodations to support our team because they know the Federation doesn’t want to pay for my accommodation; they don’t want to pay for my air tickets. So because of passion, love of football, I pay for myself, and I go to support the teams,” he said.
The freezing out of the vice president was not limited to the men’s national teams. Mariga shared a similarly humiliating experience when he travelled to cheer on the national Under-17 women’s football team during their crucial fixture against Uganda.
Rather than being welcomed and hosted as a senior federation executive, he alleged encountering rigid administrative hurdles at the team hotel.
“I was there in under-23. I went to support the under-17 women when they played against Uganda. And I was told, no, you can’t stay in this hotel because if you want to stay here, you have to pay for yourself. So, I’ll continue paying for myself. I’ll continue to support the team even if I’m sidelined because my passion is football,” Mariga said.
The open hostility between the FKF president and his vice president poses a severe threat to Kenyan football at a pivotal moment.
With Kenya preparing to co-host the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2027 and domestic leagues attempting to maintain commercial momentum through high-profile partnerships like SportPesa and Azam, structural infighting risks derailing the entire sport.
